1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the inventive concept relate generally to methods of performing dynamic voltage and/or frequency scaling (“DVFS”). More particularly, embodiments of the inventive concept relate to image processors capable of dynamically setting a frequency without decreasing a number of frames per second provided by a display system including the image processor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many contemporary display systems provide visual images at a rate (or frequency) of sixty (60) frames per second (FPS), or one frame about every 16 ms. This rate of image frame provision is above the rate necessary for a human viewer of the image to distinguish discrete frames. If frame data is not generated at the foregoing rate, the display apparatus may not display (or omit) the frame data. This is called frame drop.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many different types of display apparatuses including one or more image processors. However, each one of the variety of display apparatuses typically includes circuitry capable of generating a control signal known as the vertical synchronizing signal (VSYNC) as well as a video data signal (e.g., a RGB data signal (RD)). Hereafter, such circuitry and/or related control software will be generally referred to as an “operating part” of the display apparatus. In this context, the phenomenon of frame drop may cause the operating part to operate in an idle state, such that the frequency of the operating part decreases under the control of a constituent method that sets the dynamic frequency of the display apparatus. As a result of this undesired decrease, additional frame drops may occur until the frequency of the operating part decreases in a manner that results in a low frame rate for the display apparatus.